2027 AFCON(Qualifiers): Ivory Coast vs Ghana in the mix

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The draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying groups took place on Tuesday in Cairo, officially kicking off the first stage of the qualifiers, which will begin in September. While the draw did not produce any major showdowns, Ivory Coast and Ghana find themselves in the same group and will therefore have to battle it out in Group C alongside Gambia and Somalia. Check out all the groups.

The road to Pamoja 2027 is now set. The draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying groups took place this Tuesday at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association. The 48 competing teams learned their fate following a draw conducted by former internationals Trésor Mputu, Essam El Hadary, Max-Alain Gradel, and William Troost-Ekong.

Ironically, the former captain of the Ivory Coast dealt a heavy blow to his own team by placing Ghana in the Elephants’ group. Group C is rounded out by Gambia, capable of pulling off an upset as they did at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, as well as Somalia, which qualified after overcoming the preliminary round hurdle.

The top two teams in each group that does not include a host nation will qualify for the final tournament. In groups containing a host nation, the host will automatically qualify. If the host nation finishes first in the group, the second-place team will also qualify. However, if the host finishes second, third, or fourth, only the group winner will join the host nation in the final tournament.

The groups for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
Group A: Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho

Group B: Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan

Group C: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Gambia, Somalia

Group D: South Africa, Guinea, Kenya*, Eritrea

Group E: DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe

Group F: Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic

Group G: Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo

Group H: Tunisia, Uganda*, Libya, Botswana

Group I: Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi

Group J: Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia

Group K: Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia

Group L: Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania*, Guinea-Bissau

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Qualification Schedule
Matchdays 1 and 2: September 21–October 6, 2026
Matchdays 3 and 4: November 9–17, 2026
Matchdays 5 and 6: March 22–30, 2027